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On the Regarding War blog, soldiers, veterans, and journalists will share their stories from Afghanistan, Iraq and other war zones. It will feature personal stories and opinions from those who have first-hand knowledge of past and current conflicts. Those at home directly affected by a family member serving in the military will also contribute. The blog is meant to be a place where ideas are exchanged and experiences are related in an effort to gain a better understanding of the realities and effects of war. Share your thoughts, raise a question, and join the conversation by leaving comments on the posts.

Scenes From Afghanistan: Two Photo Collections

written by Matt Elliott
on September 29, 2010

Reading the latest headlines from Afghanistan tell you only part of the story about the country and the ongoing war there, with its violence, corruption, recent elections and latest battles. But to get a sense of a place that so few Westerners have seen, seeing photographs of Afghanistan and its people greatly adds to your perspective. We will soon be publishing photos from Holly Pickett, who just starting blogging for us and is currently in Kabul. In the meantime, two newspapers this week published photos from Afghanistan that are worth a look.

The Sacramento Bee on Tuesday published 31 photographs by James Lee, a former Marine turned photojournalist. The captivating images come from all over Afghanistan, from Afghan army barracks to students inside a madrasa and to construction projects and farming efforts.

Photo credit: The Sacramento Bee

And earlier today, the Burlington Free Press published a handful of photos by Ryan Mercer of Kabul, which show Western fashion, merchants selling carpets and scarves, and children begging for money.

Photo credit: Burlington Free Press